Method for visually displaying quantitative information in medical imaging data records

Abstract

A method is for visually displaying quantitative information in medical imaging data records, in which an image data record and/or one or more additional data records, in which each image element of the image data record has one or more associated values as quantitative information, are obtained from one or more measurement data records after one or more processing steps. The image data record and/or the one or more additional data records is/are used to calculate a significance function which, for each image element in a prescribable image region, represents a degree of similarity between the one or more values associated with the image element and a prescribable value or a prescribable value combination. Further, the significance function is graphically displayed on an image reproduction unit. The present method can be used for visually displaying quantitative information contained in medical imaging data records easily and clearly.

1. A method for visually displaying quantitative information in medical imaging data records in which an image data record is obtained from at least one measurement data records after at least one processing step, the method comprising:
 calculating a function using at least one of the image data record and at least one additional data record over the image data record, wherein the function represents, for each image element in a prescribed image region including a plurality of image elements, a degree of similarity between at least one value or value combinations associated with the image element in the at least one image data record and at least one additional data record as quantitative information and a value prescribable for the image region or a value combination prescribable for the image region; and 
 displaying the function graphically on an image reproduction unit. 
 
     
     
       2. The method as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the function is displayed in color, with the degree of color saturation corresponding to the degree of similarity. 
     
     
       3. The method as claimed in  claim 2 , wherein the graphical representation of the function is overlaid on a graphical representation of the image data record. 
     
     
       4. The method as claimed in  claim 3 , wherein the prescribable value or the prescribable value combination corresponds to particular material properties of the object under examination within the prescribed image region. 
     
     
       5. The method as claimed in  claim 4 , wherein the additional data records are obtained by calculating a density distribution and a distribution for the effective ordinal number from at least two measurement data records which have different spectral weightings. 
     
     
       6. The method as claimed in  claim 5 , wherein the prescribable value combinations include a combination of a density value and of a value for the effective ordinal number. 
     
     
       7. The method as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the graphical representation of the function is overlaid on a graphical representation of the image data record. 
     
     
       8. The method as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the prescribable value or the prescribable value combination corresponds to particular material properties of the object under examination within the prescribed image region. 
     
     
       9. The method as claimed in  claim 8 , wherein the additional data records are obtained by calculating a concentration distribution for elements or element compounds from a plurality of measurement data records which have different spectral weightings. 
     
     
       10. The method as claimed in  claim 9 , wherein the prescribable values or value combinations include concentration values for elements or element compounds or comprise a combination of concentration values for different elements or element compounds. 
     
     
       11. The method as claimed in  claim 10 , wherein a plurality of different functions are calculated from at least one of the image data record and the at least one additional data record and are graphically displayed distinguishably on the image reproduction unit. 
     
     
       12. The method as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the additional data records are obtained by calculating a density distribution and a distribution for the effective ordinal number from at least two measurement data records which have different spectral weightings. 
     
     
       13. The method as claimed in  claim 12 , wherein the prescribable value combinations include a combination of a density value and of a value for the effective ordinal number. 
     
     
       14. The method as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the additional data records are obtained by calculating a concentration distribution for elements or element compounds from a plurality of measurement data records which have different spectral weightings. 
     
     
       15. The method as claimed in  claim 14 , wherein the prescribable values or value combinations include concentration values for elements or element compounds or comprise a combination of concentration values for different elements or element compounds. 
     
     
       16. The method as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein a plurality of different functions are calculated from at least one of the image data record and the at least one additional data record and are graphically displayed distinguishably on the image reproduction unit. 
     
     
       17. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the method is for visually displaying quantitative information in CT data records. 
     
     
       18. A method for displaying information in medical imaging data records, the method comprising:
 calculating a function using at least one of an image data record and at least one additional data record, wherein the function represents, for each image element in a region including a plurality of image elements, a degree of similarity between at least one value or value combinations associated with the image element and a value prescribable for the image region or a value combination prescribable for the image region; and 
 displaying the function. 
 
     
     
       19. The method as claimed in  claim 18 , wherein the function is displayed in color, with the degree of color saturation corresponding to the degree of similarity. 
     
     
       20. The method as claimed in  claim 18 , wherein the display includes a graphical representation of the function overlaid on a graphical representation of the image data record.